The Soil Health Institute (SHI), the global non-profit charged with safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils, is collaborating with Truterra as the scientific partner for soil metrics and sampling design for TruCarbon, the first farmer-owned carbon program in the U.S.
TruCarbon is a transformational new carbon program that will help farmers generate and sell carbon credits to private sector buyers. For the initial launch, SHI will develop the soil sampling design and methodologies for qualifying farmers to be compensated for the carbon they have sequestered retroactively, over the last five years, by adopting soil health practices in prior growing seasons.
Microsoft is the first secured buyer that will purchase the vintage carbon credits toward its ambitious commitment to be carbon negative by 2030.
“TruCarbon is like no other offering on the market because it is built with the farmer at the center, backed by the most cutting-edge technology platform on the market. That means that companies and others looking to buy trusted carbon credits can connect with farmers and support the adoption of more sustainable practices on farms across the country,” said Jason Weller, Vice President, Truterra. “We are excited to be able to bring this program to farmers through our trusted network of ag retailers, offering a competitive price and streamlined experience so that they can stay focused on farming and their stewardship.”
The earth is warming due to excessive amounts of greenhouse gases being released in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. An important opportunity for addressing this issue is to sequester more carbon in soils, and scientists at SHI are publishing peer-reviewed studies showing that soil health systems are very effective at doing this.
“The science is clear,” said Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, CEO of the Soil Health Institute, “Storing more carbon in soils not only benefits a farmer’s bottom line, but also improves water quality and helps fight climate change. Farmers who adopt soil health practices build drought resilience, reduce erosion and minimize nutrient losses. All of us at the Soil Health Institute are excited to work with Truterra on this project because it will help achieve these on-farm and environmental benefits at scale.”
The Soil Health Institute will provide technical assistance to support the soil sampling strategy and design, field and laboratory methodologies, data analysis and quantification of the carbon sequestered in soils by participating farmers.
Interested farmers can find out more about the program and enroll at www.truterraag.com/CarbonSurvey.
About the Soil Health Institute
The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and advancement. We bring together leaders in soil health science and the industry to help farmers, ranchers and landowners adopt soil health systems that build in drought resiliency, stabilize yields and benefit their bottom line.
The Institute’s team of scientists, holding doctorates in various soil science and related disciplines, has developed highly effective soil health targets and standardized measurements to quantify progress at achieving regenerative and sustainable agricultural systems, and leads the cutting-edge fields of carbon sequestration and decoding the soil microbiome.
Healthy soils are the foundation for rejuvenating our land. Together, we can create a secure future for all, mitigate the effects of climate change, and help agriculture and organizations meet production and environmental goals at scale.
Visit soilhealthinstitute.org to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About Truterra, LLC
Truterra is a leading stewardship solutions provider, advancing and connecting sustainability efforts throughout the food system with scale – from farmers to ag retailers to collaborators such as food companies. Truterra positions farmers for success by providing them tools and resources to establish a stewardship baseline and track progress on every field they farm. The Truterra™ network brings together the best in agricultural technology and on-farm business management to drive sustainability across the food system, feeding people, safeguarding the planet and supporting farmer livelihoods. Truterra was launched in 2016 by Land O'Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative that spans the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods.